


Man with Orange Rose

by 3RatMoon



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Art History, Blog Format, Courtship, F/M, Fodlanic History, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-17 05:55:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28844193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/3RatMoon/pseuds/3RatMoon
Summary: An examination of the famous painting and the relationship between its subject and recipient.
Relationships: Ferdinand von Aegir/Claude von Riegan, Ferdinand von Aegir/Marianne von Edmund
Kudos: 9





	Man with Orange Rose

**Author's Note:**

> I joined a writing circle at my library and this session's theme is "communication across distances". I thought of a [painting of Ferdinand](https://twitter.com/3RatMoon1/status/1329160808367009796?s=20) I had made a couple months ago and had wanted to do a full "historical examination" of. Now, here it is!
> 
> Major character death warning is because, as this is an examination of the history of the characters several hundred years after the fact, they are LONG gone. The ending is distinctly bittersweet.

_ Post made on website Spectrum Histories Fodlan _

11 Wyvern, 1867, 9:30

About a year ago, a note was discovered on the back of the famous painting  _ Man with Orange Rose  _ during restoration, leading to the identification of the subject of the portrait as Ferdinand von Aegir. Ferdinand was well-known as the first Governor of Adrestia, which joined with the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus and the Leicester Alliance to form United Fodlan at the end of the War of the Crimson Flower. Ferdinand became instrumental in not only Adrestia’s transition from Empire to Province, but the transition of Fodlan as a whole from a feudal monarchy to a parliamentary democracy.

Despite being a popular historical figure, little is written about Ferdinand’s personal life. Many are aware of Ferdinand’s wife, Marianne von Aegir (neé von Edmund), and some have even touched on their relationship in biographies. Even so, what the identification of Ferdinand as the  _ Man with Orange Rose _ has revealed to the public is a relationship that has gone largely ignored over the years. What I am talking about is, of course, the relationship between Ferdinand von Aegir and King Khalid al’Basim of Almyra, also known as Claude von Riegan.

Khalid was born of King Alim al’Majid and his first wife, Tiana von Riegan, and found himself the heir to the Sovereign Duke of the Leicester Alliance after the death of Tiana’s brother Godfrey. He made his appearance in Fodlan society at sixteen and went to attend the Officer’s Academy at Garreg Mach Monastery at seventeen. This is likely where he first met Ferdinand, who is documented to have attended the academy the same year.

When the War of the Crimson Flower began and Emperor Edelgard von Hresvelg stripped all Adrestian nobles of the power, including the von Aegir, Ferdinand fled the Empire with his supporters and sought asylum in the Alliance. Over the six years of the war, Ferdinand worked as both retainer and general to Khalid. The exact time at which the two became involved is unclear, but it is easy to imagine romance blooming from that bond of immense trust, which Khalid famously afforded to few people.

After the war ended, Khalid left Fodlan to return to Almyra, leaving the seat of Governor of Leicester to Lorenz Gloucester, and Ferdinand became Governor of Adrestia. However, there are mentions in Ferdinand’s numerous letters to Lorenz and Marianne that he wrote Khalid often. 

> _ Have you heard from Claude of late? I received two of his letters at once, one dated from the last moon and one two moons past. Claude said in the second letter that there had been a massive landslide on the Almyran side of the Throat and suspected that it was why he hadn’t received any letters from me. It is clearly true, but I still feel some guilt at breaking our pattern of correspondence every two weeks. _

Khalid, dedicated to fostering peace between Almyra and Fodlan, visited frequently in an official capacity, and there are a couple documented cases of Ferdinand travelling to Almyra. However, the two stayed in their respective territories for most of their lives. This is where the painting comes into play. Until the discovery of the note, its purpose was unknown. Now, the note along with the knowledge of its place in the timeline of Ferdinand and Khalid’s relationship makes it clear that the painting was specifically a courting painting.

In rough Almyran, the note on the back of the Man with Orange Rose reads  _ “To my beloved Khalid. -F”. _ This marks the painting as a gift from Ferdinand to Khalid. It was a popular tradition at that time in Fodlan for courting couples to commission portraits of themselves to send to their intended. Especially in noble houses, where marriages were highly political, couples were courting across distances and often saw little of each other before marriage. The paintings functioned as a reminder of what their betrothed looked like and who they were.

This theory matches with the clues given in the portrait itself. The gold and amber pin is possibly a courting gift from Khalid, with jewelry being a popular choice in Almyra at the time. The iconic orange rose, in addition to matching Ferdinand’s bright complexion, is often used as a symbol of passion. Lorenz Gloucester, who was a fellow Governor and close friend of Ferdinand, has described him as “not a subtle man, especially in matters of the heart”, so such a declaration in a courting portrait would not be out of character.

With all of this evidence, how was the identity and purpose of the  _ Man with Orange Rose _ not figured out sooner? One factor is that the painting’s records are largely missing. The painting was donated to the Fodlan National Museum of Art by Elise von Nuvelle in 1585 after hearing a family rumour that it had spent some time in a museum in Highbridge, which holds the old fortress known as Fodlan’s Locket, built once to keep Almyran forces from crossing the mountains to invade Fodlan. The one museum in the city known to house art was the Brotherhood Museum, which celebrated the mingling of Fodlanic and Almyran culture, but a fire destroyed much of its documents in 1398, meaning any evidence that the  _ Man with Orange Rose _ was there and where it came from would have been lost. All that remained after the painting passed between several private collections was the rumour.

However, the other factor I would like to suggest is the unintended erasure of Ferdinand and Khalid’s relationship. Contrary to some claims, the Fodlan of the past was not actively homophobic. However, in a society where the nobility was marked by the presence of a Crest, a magical trait that was genetically inherited, unions that did not produce children were considered less important. Ferdinand, while having a part in Fodlan's shift away from such values, still lived in that society. His marriage to Marianne was openly a political choice, though their letters suggest that they were close friends and lovers as well.

Khalid also had politics to think about, as evidenced by his choice of Nida al’Mansur, a popular Almyran noblewoman and renowned warrior, as his first wife. Being half-Fodlanic and dedicated to forging a lasting peace between Almyra and Fodlan, he likely had to reinforce the idea amongst his people that he was still loyal to his country.

Though multiple marriages were common in both Fodlan and Almyra, it is unknown whether Ferdinand and Khalid married each other, and it is clear that some ties took precedence over others. Khalid and Ferdinand stayed in their respective countries for the remainder of their lives, their dedication to both their families and their roles as leaders likely preventing them from ever living together.

Khalid died in 1245, having abdicated the throne to his son Alim al’Mas’ud three years prior but still remaining largely involved in the politics of Almyra. Ferdinand resigned from his position of Governor in 1202 but remained Ambassador to Brigid for another forty years, as well as a Professor of Authority at the University of Enbarr until his retirement. He died in 1249 at his home in Aegir. Most notably, King Alim al’Masud visited Ferdinand on his deathbed, and Ferdinand himself attended Khalid's funeral. Clearly, they still cared for each other, even at a distance, until the end.

Perhaps, if Ferdinand and Khalid had been less important to their nations, they would have been able to be more open in their relationship and even live with each other. Perhaps their romance faded in time, or perhaps they needed the distance to thrive. Some lament the loss of the powerful magic of Crests after the fading of both the Church's and nobility's importance. However, a part of me wishes that it had happened just a generation or two sooner, so that Ferdinand and Khalid could have been together a little more.

[Edit 23 GTM, 1868, 12:46: Thank you so much for all of the wonderful comments this piece has gotten over the months! This blog was just an attempt to bring some of my research at school to the public, but I found myself engrossed in the story of Ferdinand and Khalid more than other topics I’ve covered, to the point where I am a few weeks away from proposing it as the topic for my dissertation. I’ll keep you all updated as it develops, and I’ll do my best to make the completed work as accessible as possible. Thanks again, and stay curious!]

**Author's Note:**

> Yell with me about rarepairs on [twitter](https://twitter.com/3RatMoon1)


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